In-country Research and Data Collection on Forced Labor and Child Labor in the Production of Goods: Nepal

ILAB_In_country_research_and_data_collection_on_FL_and_CL_India.pdf: 27 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Task 4: Incorporating Automated Vehicles into Scenario Planning Models

The objective of this project was to inventory the state of the practice for integrating AVs into the modeling process and to develop metrics, models and prototype tools for quantitative evaluation of AV scenario planning impacts. The outcome of the project is a usable framework and prototype planning model to establish the viability and access to these models for state and regional planning agencies. The protype tools (proof of concept) will lead to deployable models to support scenario planning conducted by States and MPOs. In addition to supporting direct consideration of AV impacts under a wide range of plausible assumptions, this task order will also lead to further research on future shared mobility, mobility on demand, and on-demand goods delivery that are expected to be affected by or to influence the deployment of AV technology

Assessing Criticality in Transportation Adaptation Planning

Before initiating a climate change vulnerability assessment, transportation agencies need to decide which assets they wish to evaluate. Identifying the relevant assets for a vulnerability study and determining which characteristics of these assets to examine can help agencies narrow the scope of the study, making it more manageable and affordable while allowing more in-depth assessment of the selected group of assets. One way to narrow the range of assets to be evaluated is to conduct a criticality assessment, which involves identifying the most critical elements of the transportation system for analysis, using quantitative or qualitative criteria. A criticality assessment provides a structured way to focus on assets that are most important for the functioning of the transportation system. This memorandum discusses common challenges associated with assessing criticality, options for defining criticality and identifying scope, and the process of applying criteria and ranking assets. It uses examples from the FHWA pilots and the Gulf Coast 2 study (see text box above) to illustrate a variety of approaches that have been used for assessing criticality. The Appendix lists criticality criteria developed under the Gulf Coast Study, Phase 2, along with brief explanations for why each criterion was chosen

Central Texas Extreme Weather and Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment of Regional Transportation Infrastructure

This report presents the results of a Climate Resilience Pilot Project conducted by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), the City of Austin Office of Sustainability, and sponsored in part by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The specific purpose of this study was to assess the potential vulnerability of a limited selection of critical transportation assets in the CAMPO region to the effects of extreme weather and climate; to highlight lessons learned in the process, and to outline potential next steps toward enhancing the resilience of the region\u2019s transportation infrastructure. The assets evaluated include roadways, bridges, and rail, and the climate-related stressors considered were flooding, drought, extreme heat, wildfire, and extreme cold (icing). Commensurate with the region\u2019s Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) \u2013 under development at the time of writing), the year 2040 was selected as the analysis horizon

Transportation Engineering Approaches to Climate Resilience: Assessment of Key Gaps in the Integration of Climate Change Considerations into Transportation Engineering: Task 2.3

In many areas of the United States, climate change is bringing an increase in frequency of extreme heat and precipitation, as well as an increase in sea level rise and associated storm surge, and a host of secondary impacts. These climate stressors are taxing an already aging transportation system, and the continuation or acceleration of these trends are often not accounted for in new construction. Recent research has provided insights into how scientists believe the climate may change, and recent pilot studies have revealed anticipated vulnerabilities of transportation agencies. However, research on how transportation practitioners should use and react to this information is still limited. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is seeking to provide answers through the development of case studies and methodologies in the Transportation Engineering Approaches to Climate Resiliency Project. A first step to addressing these shortcomings is the identification of exactly what type of assistance practitioners need. This report: Reviews gaps in information and practice related to integrating climate change into transportation engineering (Section 2) and recommends a select set of gaps for further investigation in the remainder of the project (Section 3)

Measuring and modelling concurrency

This article explores three critical topics discussed in the recent debate over concurrency (overlapping sexual partnerships): measurement of the prevalence of concurrency, mathematical modelling of concurrency and HIV epidemic dynamics, and measuring the correlation between HIV and concurrency. The focus of the article is the concurrency hypothesis – the proposition that presumed high prevalence of concurrency explains sub-Saharan Africa's exceptionally high HIV prevalence. Recent surveys using improved questionnaire design show reported concurrency ranging from 0.8% to 7.6% in the region. Even after adjusting for plausible levels of reporting errors, appropriately parameterized sexual network models of HIV epidemics do not generate sustainable epidemic trajectories (avoid epidemic extinction) at levels of concurrency found in recent surveys in sub-Saharan Africa. Efforts to support the concurrency hypothesis with a statistical correlation between HIV incidence and concurrency prevalence are not yet successful. Two decades of efforts to find evidence in support of the concurrency hypothesis have failed to build a convincing case

Enrolment of older people in social health protection programs in West Africa e Does social exclusion play a part?

Although the population of older people in Africa is increasing, and older people are becoming increasingly vulnerable due to urbanisation, breakdown of family structures and rising healthcare costs, most African countries have no social health protection for older people. Two exceptions include Senegal's Plan Sesame, a user fees exemption for older people and Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) where older people are exempt from paying premiums. Evidence on whether older people are aware of and enrolling in these schemes is however lacking. We aim to fill this gap. Besides exploring economic indicators, we also investigate whether social exclusion determines enrolment of older people. This is the first study that tries to explore the social, political, economic and cultural (SPEC) dimensions of social exclusion in the context of social health protection programs for older people. Data were collected by two cross-sectional household surveys conducted in Ghana and Senegal in 2012. We develop SPEC indices and conduct logistic regressions to study the determinants of enrolment. Our results indicate that older people vulnerable to social exclusion in all SPEC dimensions are less likely to enrol in Plan Sesame and those that are vulnerable in the political dimension are less likely to enrol in NHIS. Efforts should be taken to specifically enrol older people in rural areas, ethnic minorities, women and those isolated due to a lack of social support. Consideration should also be paid to modify scheme features such as eliminating the registration fee for older people in NHIS and creating administration offices for ID cards in remote communities in Senegal